Chapter 62 - Conversation with Aurelian [I]

Chapter 62: 62 - Conversation with Aurelian [I]

The meeting took place less than an hour later, once the worst of the wounded had been moved inside and the Royal Guard had taken control of what remained of the battlefield.

Adrien chose one of Greymoor’s smaller meeting rooms instead of his mother’s study. A long wooden table occupied most of the room, with enough space for maps and reports, while the windows overlooked the estate and part of the western road beyond it. For the first time that day, the road was quiet.

Evelyne sat beside Adrien, while Aurelian took the opposite side of the table. The Crown Prince had brought several folders with him, though none of his advisers or guards had entered with him.

Adrien preferred that. There were already enough people involved in Clairmont affairs.

Evelyne rested one hand beside the map. "I assume we’re here to discuss what happens to Arquenay now."

"That’s most of it." Aurelian opened the first folder and removed several reports. "Things are moving quickly. Their main estate is already under Crown control, and the remaining military posts have been ordered to stand down. So far, none of them have decided to make matters worse."

Adrien leaned back carefully, immediately regretting it when his ribs reminded him what Gaspard had done to them. "And what happens to Gaspard himself?"

"He’ll be taken to Valebrand once the area is secure. There will still be a formal investigation and judgment, but whatever sentence he receives won’t change the important part." Aurelian placed the report aside. "House Arquenay, as it currently exists, is finished."

Evelyne studied him for a moment. "That leaves a considerable amount of land without a Great House overseeing it. I assume the Crown already has an idea of what to do with it."

"We do, at least with part of it."

Aurelian unfolded a regional map across the table and turned it toward them. Most of Arquenay territory stretched farther inland, but one large section shared a direct border with the remaining Clairmont lands.

He placed two fingers over that area. "This section will be transferred to House Clairmont."

Adrien looked down more carefully. It was considerably more than he had expected.

A small city sat near the centre of the marked region, with several villages around it. Roads connected them directly to Greymoor, while large stretches of farmland occupied the southern half. Farther north, another symbol caught his attention.

"There’s a mine here," Adrien said, tapping the map.

"Iron, primarily. It isn’t one of Arquenay’s richest holdings, but it’s productive and has been operating consistently for years." Aurelian moved his hand south. "The villages here produce grain and livestock, while the city handles most of the trade moving through this part of the territory."

Evelyne was already paying more attention to the roads and settlements than the size of the border. "What kind of population are we talking about?"

"The preliminary records put it above twenty thousand once the city, villages and smaller farming settlements are counted together. That number may change slightly once Crown officials finish reviewing the local registers."

Adrien glanced at his mother. She was already calculating what twenty thousand new people meant in taxes, food, administration, security and everything else that came with suddenly governing a much larger territory.

It was a good problem to have, but still a problem.

"What happens to the people already running those places?" Evelyne asked. "I’m assuming you aren’t planning to remove every local official simply because they answered to Arquenay."

"I’m not." Aurelian folded his hands over the table. "The Crown is removing House Arquenay, not every noble and administrator beneath them. Local barons, mayors and officials who aren’t connected to Gaspard’s crimes will keep their positions."

Adrien followed the border with one finger. "So the structure stays mostly intact. They simply answer to House Clairmont from now on."

"That’s the idea. Replacing competent administrators for the sake of making a point would create more problems than it solves, especially when Clairmont doesn’t currently have enough people to replace them anyway."

Evelyne nodded. "That makes sense. I’d rather spend time determining who is competent and loyal than dismiss everyone and rebuild the entire administration from nothing."

Adrien looked toward her. "I was going to say the same thing."

Aurelian let the exchange pass before opening another folder. "There’s also the matter of Arquenay’s soldiers, which will probably interest both of you more."

Adrien’s attention returned to him. "The men outside, or everyone who served the house?"

"Both. Officers directly involved in the slaving operation, the attack on Clairmont territory or any attempt to destroy evidence will be investigated individually. Anyone proven responsible will answer for it."

Evelyne’s expression hardened slightly. "And the soldiers who simply followed Gaspard here?"

"That’s more complicated." Aurelian rested one forearm against the table. "A large portion of Arquenay’s forces are household guards, village soldiers or Awakened whose families live under their authority. Refusing a direct order from their duke wasn’t necessarily a realistic option for all of them."

"They still marched on Greymoor," Evelyne said. There was no anger in her voice, only fact.

"I’m aware. But treating every one of them as equally responsible would be foolish, and it would leave hundreds of trained Awakened with nowhere to go." Aurelian glanced between them. "Those who are cleared will be given options."

Adrien understood immediately. "And one of those options is service under Clairmont."

"Yes. Anyone whose home falls inside the territory being transferred to you will be allowed to swear service to House Clairmont. Others can request the same if they prefer it to leaving military service entirely."

Evelyne leaned slightly closer to the document. "Do you have an estimate?"

"Nothing reliable yet, but I would expect more than a hundred Awakened to qualify once the investigations are finished. Possibly considerably more, depending on how many choose to stay in this region."

Yesterday, Clairmont had less than a hundred Awakened available for the defence of Greymoor.

Now there was a realistic possibility of doubling that number.

Adrien didn’t smile. "That’s a substantial amount of military strength to hand to a house the Crown reduced to almost nothing a few months ago."

Aurelian met his eyes. "I’m giving you the opportunity to recruit them. Whether they become loyal Clairmont soldiers rather than men wearing a different crest is something you’ll have to solve yourselves."

That answer Adrien trusted considerably more.

Evelyne nodded slowly. "Garrick can handle their military assessment. I’ll have the rest screened separately before anyone is accepted permanently. I don’t want men inside Greymoor simply because they were willing to change banners quickly."

"That would be my recommendation as well."

Adrien pointed farther into Arquenay territory. "And the rest of this? Clairmont gets the section bordering Greymoor, but that’s nowhere near all of Arquenay’s holdings."

"The Crown will administer the main territory temporarily while investigations continue. After that, the remaining lands will be redistributed where necessary, though most of the lesser nobles already governing them will remain where they are."

"So they’ll answer to someone else eventually."

"Most likely. There are several ways it could be handled, and none need to be decided tonight."

Adrien studied the map before looking back at Aurelian. "I wanted to make sure we weren’t expected to be satisfied with a few farms after being invaded by seven hundred men."

Aurelian’s expression barely shifted. "A city, several villages, productive farmland, an iron mine, new tax revenue and potentially more than a hundred Awakened is an interesting definition of a few farms."

"When you say it like that, it sounds better."

"That was the intention."

Evelyne gave Adrien a brief look before turning back to Aurelian. "What about financial compensation? Arquenay caused damage here before the Crown arrived."

"There will be compensation once their treasury and other assets have been properly assessed. I’m not going to give you a number tonight and discover tomorrow that half the money was moved somewhere else years ago."

"That’s reasonable," Evelyne said. "And the stores inside the territory being transferred?"

"Food, ordinary supplies and military stores already located there will remain with the territory. Anything directly connected to the slaving operation will be seized by the Crown as evidence until the investigation is finished."

Adrien looked down at the map again.

A city. Several villages. Farms. A working mine. More than twenty thousand people and potentially enough Awakened to completely change Greymoor’s military situation.

It was more than Clairmont had possessed yesterday, and certainly more than Adrien had expected the Crown to hand them willingly.

That was exactly why he didn’t trust it.

Nobody gave away that much power without thinking several moves ahead.

Evelyne seemed satisfied with the practical terms, though Adrien knew his mother well enough to recognise that satisfaction wasn’t the same thing as trust.

"It’s a generous settlement, Your Highness."

"It’s a practical one," Aurelian replied. "House Clairmont exposed crimes committed by another Great House and was invaded because of it. If the Crown stripped Arquenay of its holdings and rewarded everyone except the people who were attacked, we’d be sending a very poor message."

Adrien watched him carefully. Aurelian always had an explanation ready, and irritatingly, most of them made sense.

That still didn’t mean Adrien believed this was the only reason he was doing it.

Evelyne closed her notes and rose from her chair. "Then I should start preparing tonight. If we’re taking responsibility for that territory, I want people ready before Crown officials begin transferring authority."

Adrien looked toward her. "You’re seriously starting tonight after everything that happened today?"

"I’ve suddenly gained a city, several villages, thousands of people and enough paperwork to ruin the rest of my month. Waiting until morning isn’t going to make any of it disappear." Evelyne gathered the notes she’d made before turning toward Aurelian. "Your Highness, thank you for explaining the terms personally. I’ll have our people ready to cooperate with the Crown officials."

Aurelian inclined his head. "Lady Evelyne. I’ll make sure they’re informed before they arrive."

She left the room a moment later, closing the door behind her.

Adrien remained seated, his attention returning to the man across from him. Aurelian hadn’t gathered his reports, and he showed no sign that he intended to leave.

The discussion over compensation was finished, but Adrien had never believed that was the only reason the Crown Prince wanted to speak with him.

Now that Evelyne was gone, they could finally get to the part Aurelian had actually been waiting for.